Break-arm for electric wiring.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER A. ARTHUR, OF MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

BREAK-ARM FOR ELECTRIC WIRING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

i Patented sept. 1o, 19o?. i

Application iiled April 5,1907. Serial No. 366,523.

the accompanying drawing, is a speci'cation, like let-` ters on thedrawing representing like parts.

This invention'has for its object the production of a novel, simple andefficient break arm for electric wiring, so constructed and arrangedthat it may be used in f various places and positions, such as poles,house walls, cornices, wherever itis necessary to break an electriccircuit and securely hold the disconnected ends of the Wire.

that a loop can be led therefrom, it is new customary to take a shortpiece of cable, splice insulators to the ends thereof, and attach theseparated ends of the line wire to the insulators, the ends of the loopbeing led off from the line wire at each side of such break connection.This method is slow and cumbersome, and is the source of much delay inconstruction work,`for whenever a line wire is to be broken the clampsmust first be put on, the wire cut, and the insulated cable prepared andapplied to the cut ends. Furthermore, the connection When a line wiremust be broken, as fory instance sol must in turn be properly supportedon the arm of a pole,

or to a bracket on a building or other suitable object.

In my present invention I have provided a break arm made' as a castinghaving opposite branches and adapted to be rigidly secured to a suitablesupport, and I provide brackets adjustably' attachable to the branchesand carrying suitable insulators to which are'secured the endsof thewire in which the break is made.

The construction-ds suchthat an insulator bracket can be adjusted atpractically any angle, or set in any desired direction on the branch,and if required more than one bracket 'may be mounted on each branch, sothat a single break arm may be utilized for a plurality of line Wires. A

'lhe break-arm is so constructed that it can be readily and quicklyattached to any suitable or convenient support, in horizontal orvertical position, or reversed, according to the necessities of thecase.

The various novel features of my invention-will be fully described inthe subjoined specification and particularly pointed out in thefollowing claims.

Figure l is a side elevation of a break arm embodyingvone ioun of myinvention, shown as secured to a cross-arm, and with an insulatorbracket mountedon each branch; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the breakarm, the insulatorbracketsbeing omitted', 3 is a view in plan and sideelevation of the back plate shown in Fig. l; Fig. 4 is an inner sideelevation of 4one of the insulator brackets, showing its seating face;Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5, Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a side elevationor' a dropbraeket, to bercferred to; Fig. 7 is a plan View of theseating face thereof; Fig. 8 is a transverse section on the line 8-8,Fig. l, of the base ofthe break arm; Fig. 9 is a similar section throughone of the branches, on the line 9-9, Fig. l; and Fig. l0 is a secof theinsulator bracket adjacent its seating portion.

I make the break arm and insulator brackets as castings, preferably omalleable iron, the break arm comprising an attaching base l having aflat under face and a thickened longitudinal portion 2 provided with anelongated.' slot 3, the base being widened at opposite sides of the part2 to present apertured ears 4, see Figs. l and 2.

Rigid, .integral branches 5 extend fi'om the opposite ends of the base,preferably made substantially T- shaped in cross-section, Fig. 9, tosecure rigidity and strength combined with relatively light weight,thebranches curving upward from the base and then extending substantiallyin parallelism therewith.

Each branch at its outer' end is shaped to present a hollow box-likeportion 6, shown herein as substantially cubic-al, the three outer facesin planes at right angles to the plane of the base l having each acentral aperture 7. Each of the said faces is designed to form a seatfor an insulator bracket, and herein I have shown a series of preferablyradial corrugations or ribs 8 arranged around the aperture 7 as acenter, such formation being made in casting the break arm. The. '.atter'is attached to any suitable support by suitable bolts,

the ilat under face oi the base l resting upon the support, and in Fig.l I have shown the break arm attached to the cross-bar C of a pole,bolts 9 passing through the slot 3 outside the cross-bar, and through alongitudi- 'tion on the line lil-l0, Fig. l,taken'through the arm lsonally slotted back-plate l0, shown separately in Fig, 3, 'l

said back-plate resting against the under side ofthe cross-bar. Thebolts are located at the sides oi the latter-,lso that the break arm canbe readily applied Without boring boit-holes," the nuts ll when set upagainst the back-plate firmly and rigidly holding the break arm inplace.

By means-oi the slot 3 in the base, and the slotted back-plate i0, thebolts are positioned according to the the slots as required.

Instead of using such a bar as the support it will be manifest that thebreak armcan be bolted to a vertical support, such as a building wall,and with the branches extended vertically or horizontally as may beconven- .widthof the bar C, being moved inward or outward in ient. So,too, by turning the breal .um upside down from the position shown inFig. l, it can be secured to un overhanging,` cornice, or to theunderside of e crossbar or other support. n ll' desired 'the break-farmcan be bolted directly to pole, transversely thereof, without theintervention ot' a i'fross-erm, the various modes o'supporting the breekarm illustrating its adaptability to almost any circumstances arising inconstruction Work.

The branches are designed to form firm and rigid supports for bracketscarrying the insulator-sto which `the disconnected ends of the line Wireare ritter-hed, und I have herein shown a standard bracket, Figs. l and4, anda drop bracket, Fig. (i. l

Referring to Figs. l and 4, the standard bracket comprises a circularbase 12 from which springs at an angle an' erm l, upturned at itsextremity at 14 and terminesting in a. tubular, externally threaded tip15, see Fig. 4. The base l2 has a centre-l aperture 16 and the seating.tace is provided with preferably radial corrugations i :bs 17, Fig. 4,concentrically arranged/around the ape.t ire 16. l The base o thebracket is connected with the boxlike end 6 of one of the branches 5 bya suitable clamping bolt '18, Fig- 1, vwhich is passed through theipertures 7 and 16 when the saine are brought into alinement.

The seating face of the bracket base is brought into contact with thecorrugated face oi the part 6 oi the branch, the radial corrugations 8engaging the corrugated surface 17 oi the bracket base, interlocking theparts so that when the bolt 18 is tightened the bracket cannot turn. i

The apcrtured ears L'l of the base 1 provide additional means lorattaching the breuk nrni to a support, or for attaching it in suchpinces that the bolts could not conveniently pass through the slot 3.

lt will bc readily seen that the bracket can be applied to any; one ofthe three corrugated seats ofthe part fi() (i or" the branch, and thatthe brncket can be readily adjusted upon the bolt 'I8 as a center beforethe bolt is tightened, thereby givinfjr a wide rango of zuliustinent.The bracket shown in dotted lines Fig. l shows the angular adjustmentclearly.

it' desired cach oi the seats may have Aa bracket clamped thereon, sothat the one break arm may hold the disconnected ends oi' a pluralityol' line Wires. The insulator l, Fig. l, is scrtwved onto the tip i5 ofthe bracket, and the end oi the line wire fastened toA 5l) theinsulatorin usuel manner, the tip having an expansion slot lil, see Fig.4.

The detail Fig. 10 shows the circular shape ofthel bracket base 12 andthe cross-sectional shape oi the arni lil ndjacent thereto..

ln Figrti I have shown a drop bracket, convenient lor certain locations,it also having a circular base 2t), centrally :tpertured at 2l, Fig. 7,und provided `on is seating lecc with radial corrugatious 22, the arm2li dcpendiug from the base in a substantial U-sbape and 6.0 having itsupturncd portion 2li terminal ing in a threaded tip25 for the insulator.

The drop-bracket is secured to thc brauch ot the Abreak ziiluin theinanncr just described7 and it isangui `f=irly adjustable thereon, atset forth.

. The device described ail'ords a lirni, rigid and strong support andconnection for the separated ends ot' .e line wire, ort'or a, dead endund as the device can be put` in practically any position its range ofusefulness is vcryextended. 'i l in construction Work the break arm canbe installed very quickly and the line wire cut and attached theretowith a. minimum loss of time, each break arm al'iording as tixed andfirm a support for the line ends as do insulators directly secured tocross-arms, buildings, etc.

struction and arrangement as to details herein shown and described, forvarious changes or modifications therein may be made Without departingfrom the spirit and scope of my invention as set fort-h in the appendedclaims. y

Having fully described my invention, what l claim es new and desiretosecure by Letters Patent is taching ba'se having rigid branchesopposit'el'y extended therefrom, a plurality of bracketseats on eachbranch, a bracket adapted to carry an insulator, said bracket having aseating; face to engage any one of the seats on a branch, and menusv toclamp the seatingr face ot the bracket upon' the seat in an angularlyadjusted position.

2. A breuk-arm for electric wiring, comprising:Y ri casting,r having :inapertured attaching' base and'rigid branches extended therefrom, 'aradially' corrugated seat on euch corrugated base to engage the seat,and' a clamping bolt extended through the centers ot' the bracket baseand the seat, to clamp the bracket in angularly adjusted position on thebranch.

Si. A break-arm for' electric wiring', comprising a cstmetal attaching'base having rigid branches extended there from, a rouc'hened seat on theouter end of each brauch, an insulator bracket' detachably mounted onthe sent an adjustable :insular-ly thereon, said bracket having .aroughcned iacc to engage the seat, and a device to clamp the face of thebracket upon the seat in such adjusted position. I l, A brcak-urm forelectric wiring, comprising a Ilat eust-metal attaching base providedwith Vbolt-receiving opening.` rigid' branches' extended oppositely fromthe buse, a plurality of bracket-stehts on the outer end of each branch.an insulator' bracket having,7 a seating,r tace, and ineens to clamp theseating face et the brucket upon one ofv the seats on the branch.

A break-arm lor electric wiring, comprising a ilul cast-metal attaching;base provided with bolt-receiving openings. rigid brain-hes extendedoppositely from thc buse, euch brunch having'a box-like outerend'providcd with radially corrugated faces I'o forni bracket seals,insulator brackels mounted on the branches, euch'ln'acket havingy urudially corrugated seating portion to cooperate with one of the bracketseats, and a clamp bolt extended through the cenlci's ol' the opposedscotland the seating portion or the bracket, the bracket beingsingularly adjustable on the scat :lull beine' held by the corrilgationsin adjusted position when the clamp bolt is tightened.l

ll. A break-:mn tor electrlc wiring, comprising a tint custinelalattaching base provided with bolt-receiving opcnings,ri,;ld branchesextended opposltely fromthe base, u plurality of centrally npertut-edland radially corrugated seats on the outer end ot euch branch, bracketshaving coi'- l'esponiling'ly corrugated and nperttireil portions to istupon the seals, und clamping bolts passed throulb the :iper-lures loclump a bracket on the scat,V said brackets hnvincV insulator-cui'rylni;arms. l

7. A bruik-arm lor electric wiring, comprising' u tlut easlfniclzil baseharing :i longitudinal slot and lateral, :lperturcd ears, rigid branchesextended opposilcly from the buse, :in npiu'turcd, roughencd sont on theouter end ot' euch brunch, :in insulator bracket having a roiurhenedErice to engage the seat, and u clamping bolt extended through Myinvention is not restricted to the precise conl. A break-arm forelectric wiring', comprising anat-V branch, an insulan' bracket havingaicorrespondingly" sedeva ythe said face and through the seat apertureto clump the i0 back-plate at oppose'sides of a ci'ossjbar, to rigidlyconnect the break-arm thereto, the slots permitting adjust ment of thebolts to conform to different widths of a crossarxn. O

In testimony whereof, Iylmve signed my naine to this specification, inthe presenee of two subscribing witnesses.

t WALTER A. ARTHUR.

Witnesses:

me. W. Gnmony, EMILY C. Houses.

